NCAA Softball Travel Blog: Media Stars

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. -- This afternoon, the team practiced at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for the last time this week before it departs for Seattle on Wednesday. Prior to practice at 2:30 p.m., head coach Jessica Allister and several players took part in interviews with members of the local media.

All four major television stations -- FOX 9 News, KARE-11, KSTP-5 and WCCO-4 -- were there, as well as Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Mike Grimm.

For me, one of the best rewards on days like today is to hear the positive feedback from the media personalities about how poised and well-spoken the members of this team are. Dawn Mitchell of FOX 9, in particular, was impressed with how all of the players she interviewed seemed very comfortable in front of the camera.

"Sometimes, a player will have a great personality, but they tense up when they get in front of the camera and the interview doesn't turn out as well as you'd like it," Mitchell said. "I was so impressed with all of the girls on this team, and we got a great sound bite from each one of them."

Some of the players who did interviews expressed a bit of anxiety to me about going in front of the cameras. It's not something we regularly get to do. I just told them to relax and explained that the questions were all going to be about softball, which is something they definitely know how to talk about, so there was no need to worry.